The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-23
WHITTlER'S YOUTH.
His First Published Poem and tho Frien
1t Brought Him.

His First Published Poem and tho Friend
1t Brought Him.
Whittier began to rhyme very early
and kept his gift secret from all ex.
cept his Oldest sister, fearing that his
father, who was prosaic man, would
think he was wasting time. He wrote
under the fence in the attic, in the
barp-whereycr he could escape OBJ
servation; and as pen and ink were
not always available. he sometimes
used chalk. and even charcoal Great
was the surprise Of the family when
some of his verses were unearthed,
literally unearthed, from under heap
of rubbish in garnet; but his fathc
frowned upon these evidences of tin
bent of his mind. not out of kind ness.
but because he doubted the sufficiency
of the boys education for literary
life. and did not wish to inspire him
with hopes which might never be full.
filed.
His sister had faith in him, neverthe-
less, and, without his knowledge, she
sent one Of his poems to the editor Of
the Free Press. newspaper published
in Newburyport Whittier was helping
his father to repair stone wall by the
roadside. when the carrier flung copy
of the paper to him. and. unconscious
that any thing of his was in it. he
opened it and glanced up and dow,
the columns. His. eyes fell on some
verses called 1.-The Exile's Depart
are:''
Fond scenes which delighted my youthful OF
istence,
With feelings OF sorrow bid We adieu--
lasting adeu; for now, dim in the distance
The shores Of Hibernia recede from my
view.
Farewell to the cliffs. tempest-beaten and
gray,
Which guard the loved shores Of my own M
tive land;
Farewell to the village and sail.shadowed bay
The forestcrowned hill and the water. washed
strand.
His eyes swan; it was his own poem,
tho first he ever had in print.
What is tho matter with thcc?' his
father demanded, seeing how dazed he
was; but though he resumed his work
on the wall. lie could not speak, and
he had to steal glance ut the paper
again before he could convince HIM
self that he was not dreaming. Sur.
enough, the poem was there with his
initial at the foot of it-"W. Havcr-
hill, June l, 1926" and, better still.
This editorial notice: If w. at
Haverhill. will continue to favor us
with pieces beautiful rs the one in
serted in our poetical department of
to-day, we shall esteem it a favor"
The editor thought so much of The
Exile's Departure" and some other
verses which followed it from the same
hand, that he resolved to make the
acquaintance of his new contributor,
and hc drove over to sec him.
Whittier, then boy Of eighteen, wa.
summoned from the fields where he
was working, clad only In shirt,
trousers and straw hat. and having
slipped In at the back door so that he
might put his shoes and coat on, came
into the ron with 'shrinking dit.
fidence. almost unable to speak and
blushing like 4 maiden" The editor
was young man himself. not more
than twenty-five or twenty. three, and
the friendship that began with this
visit lasted until death ended It. How
strong and how close it was. and how
it was made to serve the cause Of
freedom may be learned in the life Of
the great abolitionist, William Lloyd
Garrison, which was the edi ,or's
name. ST. Nicholas,